Transmission mechanism for motor-vehicles.



E. C. COOPER.

TRANSMISSION MECHANISM FOR MOTOR VEHICLES.

APPLICATION FILED MAY 22. 19M.

Patented Nov. 13, 1917.

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specification of Letters Eatent.

Application filed Hay 5323, 1914. Serial No. 540,224.

To all whom it may concern:

Be it known that l, Erwin C. COOPER, a citizen of the United States andresident of Eetroit, Wayne county, State of Michigan,

have invented certain new "and useful linprovements in TransmissionMechanism for llOt01'-Vl1lClS, of which the following is aspecification.

This invention relates to motor vehicles and particularly to thetransmission mechanism of such vehicles.

@ne of the objects of the. present inven tion is to facilitate thelubrication of a motor vehi le transmission mechanism, and particularlyof that type of mechanism in which the change speed gearing is arrangedadjacent to or as a part of the driving axle.

other objects of the invention A following description with the drawingsthis specification, and

substantially vertical section l udinally through motor veerubodyingthis invention;

2 is in. vertical section talren transversely through the stile shown inFig. l; and

' a section on the line 33 oi Fig. 2 on a slightly smaller scale.

In the embodiment of the invention shown in the drawings there are twocasings indicted st 10 and ll respectively, which casnre separated by apartition 12. The .5; or housing 16 comprises the main e member 13 whichis of substantially buler form and enlarged at its central ert havingforward and rear openings lei end 15, respectively, the forward openingbeing closed by a member 16 which is "formed with integral supportinglugs 1? for the bearings 18 of the differential housing 19, and the rearopening being closed by a cap 20 which is removabl secured to the axlemember 13 as by he ts 21. The member 16 is also secured to the axlememher 13 by similar bolts 22, end the member extends forwardly andcomprises the casing 11 shove referred to. in the latter casing arearrangedsuitable change speed gears, one of which is shown at 28 formedon a shaft 2%, and this shaft is mounted in suitable bearings arrangedin the purtition 12 and extending therethrough. A bevel driving pinion26 is suitnbly secured 32 cas on the end of the shaft 24 and meshes witha driven gear 27 mounted upon the support 19 of a difierential gearing28. It will be understood that the differential gearing 28 in thesupport 19 is suitably connected to axle sections 29, which extendthrough the tubular ports of the axle member 13 to the traction wheelsmounted at the ends of said axle member andnot shown in the drawings.

In constructions of this general character as heretofore used thelubrication oi the gears in each of he casings has been inde pendent ofthose in the other, and since one of the casings is frequently lowerthan the other the oil has been found. to leak from the higher casing tothe lower through the bearings in which the connecting shaft or shaftsare mounted. This has led to an unequal distribution of the oil in thecasings. In the present invention provision is made for constantlycirculating the oil from the higher casing to the lower and back again.in the embodiment of the invention shown the partition 12 is formed witha channel in the upper part of the partition, and this channel isinclined and opens at one end into the casing 11 end at the other endinto the casing 10 at a point redial of the driven gear 27 so that theoil or grease 31 that is r picked up by the gear 27 from the bottom ofthe casing 10 is thrown by centrifugal force radially outward and someof it enters the channel 30 and passes through it into the casing ll.The partition or well 12 is further provided in its lower part with asecond channel 32 which opens at one end into the casing 10 and at theother end into the casing 11 at a point removed from said wall and at esuitable height to insure a proper oil level in said latter casing. Theopening of the channel 32 into the casing 11 is indicated at 33 in Fig.2 and it will be seen that the normal 011 level is high enough to insurethe dipping of the gears into the oil.

Thus the oil or other lubricant that drains into the bottom of thedifierential housing or casing 10 will be picked up by the drivengear-27 and some oi it carried through the channel 30 into the casing 11where it falls upon gear 23 and the other gears therein and drains tothe bottom of said casing 11. When the oil overflows the opening 33 itpasses through the channel 32 end beck into Patented Nova 13 193% tillthe casing 10 where it goes through the same process keeping up thecirculation as long as the gears revolve.

Having thus described my invention, what I claim and desire to secure byLetters Patent, is

1. In a transmission mechanism for motor vehicles the combination of adifferential housing, a change speed housing separated therefrom by apartition, and means comprising a gear and passages, the latter beinglocated at the top and bottom of said" partition, for the circulation oflubricant from one housing to the other.

2 In a transmission mechanism for motor vehicles, the combination of adifferential housing, a change speed housing separated therefrom by apartition, gears in said houslngs, and means including part of saidgears for circulating oil from one housingto the other. 3. In atransmissionmechanism for motor vehicles, the combination of an axlecasing and attached change speed gear casing, said casings having apartition formed between them, axle sections and difi'erential gearingmounted in the axle casing, a driven gear on said gearing, gears in thegear casing, a shaft extending through said artition and driving saiddriven gear, sai partition having a channel in its upper part openinginto the axle casing radially of said driven wheel whereby oil throwntherefrom by centrifugal force will pass through said channel into thegear case, and means permitting the return of said oil to said axlecasing.

4. In a transmission mechanism for motor vehicles, the combination of anaxle casing and attached change speed gear casing, said casings having apartition formed between them, axle sections and differential gearingmounted in the axle casing, a driven gear on said gearing, gears in thegear casing, a shaft extending through said partition and driving saiddriven gear, said partition having a channel in its upper part openinginto the axle casing radially of said driven gear whereby oil throwntherefrom by centrifugal force will pass through said channel into thegear case, and said partition also having a channel in its lower artopening into the gear case at the desire oil level for permitting thereturn by gravity of said oil to the axle casing.

5. In a motor vehicle, the combination with the rear axle, a casingtherefor, a driven gear mounted therein, a transmission gearing a casingtherefor secured to said axle casing, of means including said drivengear for feeding oil to said gearing casing from said axle casing.

6. In a motor vehicle, the combination with the rear axle casing, adriven gear mounted in said casing, the transmission gearing, a casingfor said gearing secured to said axle casing, said casings beingnormally at different levels, of means including said driven gear forconstantly circulating the oil from one of said casings to the other ofsaid casings when said driven gear is in operation.

7. In a motor vehicle, the combination with the driving axle casing, adriven gear mounted therein, a casing having transmission gearingmounted therein and secured to said axle casing, of means comprising a'driven gear mounted in said axle casing for pumping oil from said axlecasing to said gearing casing.

8. In a transmission mechanism for motor vehicles the combination of adifi'erential housing and a change speed housing separated therefrom bya partition, said partition having an inclined passage in its upperpartdraining toward one housing and a passage in its lower part atlevel.

In testimony whereof I aflix my signature in the presence of twowitnesses.

ERWIN O. COOPER.

a predetermined oil Witnesses:

CLAIR J. Oo'rn, LE R01 J. WILLIAMS.

